Name: Caboose Motel
Address: 3363 Main Ave, Durango, Durango, Durango, 81301, United States of America
Rating: 7

Smoking areas

Garden

Reception desk

General

Concierge services

Services and amenities

Vending machine

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Picnic area

Barbeque

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Meeting and presentation facilities

Conference Hall

Business

Playroom

Kids

Pets allowed

Pets

Extra decontamination measures

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the mini-hotel

Durango-La Plata County Airport

Caboose Motel

Durango

I've stayed here several times over the years and never really had anything about which to grouse, until now! Research indicates this place was built in the 1930's, so it's even older than the current "family owned business" of the past 40 years. Yes, it has the nostalgia of a mid-20th century motel, which, for some, can be appealing; BUT my experience this time around was really disappointing. For starters, @ $136 for one night, there is no excuse for the following (pictures below provide some detail): 1) I pulled on the curtain wand to open the curtain and it came off in my hand. When I went to inspect it, I discovered it was attached to the curtain mechanism with an UNFOLDED PAPER CLIP!!! 2) The sitting table next to the bed was finished in approx. a 1/4" layer of resin---every inch of the resin was crazed with cracks. 3) Why bother using a hook to hang a warped, old painting, when you can just gouge out opposing holes in the frame and drive nails into the walls!?!?!? 4) The relatively, newly, refinished bathroom was deceiving; i.e., at least 4-5 of the 12" square floor tiles were cracked. In addition grout was completely missing in some joints and the tile directly in front of the sink wobbled under pressure when standing on it. I've laid many a tile floor; it was obvious there was little or no adhesive under the tiles, leading to their cracking. 5) Turning on the faucet was another adventure, as water sprayed in multiple directions, worsening with increasing water pressure. Why? Because the filter screen was completely missing. Each time I used the sink, I had to wipe down the surrounding counter. 6) The free WiFi was useless. Called the front desk; told they would reset the router. Didn't make a difference. If you wanted to do any work on you laptop, pad, etc., the signal would constantly cut out. 7) A TV remote requiring a Ph.D., plus not a single premium channel (no HBO, Netflix, etc).

Won't return, very disappointing 

This was the worst motel we have ever stayed at.  Reception and welcome, horrible.  Room was dirty; no replacement of towels, coffee.  Had to return towels to get new ones.  Soap was like Borax.  No shampoo or other amenities in bath.  No hairdryer; had to ask and no way to use it in bathroom. Outlets did not work. Only light switch was at door so when go to bed, had to turn off light at door before getting into bed.  Towels were very small.  No help in getting restaurants or other visit sights.  Very unfriendly.  There are many options in Durango; this is a NO go.

Don't bother to stay here!

 Check in is at a window, since the office is not open to the public. I parked and walked back to this side window. There are two single storey motel buildings and a few more rooms at the back of the office building. These rooms have a short flight (6 steps) up to the entrance. The building units open from the parking lot. There is a gazebo and an outside picnic area.
The rooms have window unit air-conditioners, microwaves, and small refrigerators. Unsecured Wi-Fi is available. All rooms are non-smoking, and pets are welcome, in certain rooms.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2022.
We arrived on November 8 at 5PM with reservations. This hotel uses a walk up window for check-in, regardless of the weather. There is a bell for service. This bell was not answered, so I knocked on the office door and also the live-in residence door. After 15 minutes, of trying, there still was no answer. Finally the live-in housekeeper, called the managers. Unbelievably there was no answer. She gave me the key to a cleaned room, and we stayed. In the morning, there still was no answer at the office door. The housekeeper called and the manager refused to come down. He said we'd be charged off of our reservation. We will NOT be returning. This motel does NOT serve the needs of its guests and I DO NOT recommend it.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2022.                        Don't stay here

I stayed here while I was 4wheeling in the area.
We were caught on a trail and I could not get back in time to pick up my room key. They left it outside for me even though I had not filled out the paper work.
The room was spectacular.  A little older , but very clean. Small efficiency. 
They are dog friendly. 

An Absolute Gem

The room was okay.  Although I thought for $165 for a night it seemed expensive.  Got attitude when I asked for an extra towel.  A lot of bugs in the room.   The room was freshly painted.  Could not open windows for fresh air.

Okay

I stayed 4 nights and wasn't disappointed. I booked 2 months earlier online, showed up and envelope with my name and key was ready. Excellent location on quiet north end of Durango. Coffee shop next door, trolley stop beside it, Serious Texas BBQ (another must try in Durango) and grocery store a short walk away also. My room had a large fridge which was very  convenient (Canadian exchange rate can make eating out every meal for 4 days pricey). I stayed in room 18 in the back which was a little fancier than the ground floor ones. Air conditioning worked very well! room was very clean, ample towels, coffee packets (she asked if I needed more and gave me a handful within seconds from office). Picnic table outside my room and also a pet fenced in common area with a newly built enclosed gazebo to play card games etc...or sit outside in the evening and visit at tables and have a cool one.
Check out was easy: leave the key in the room. No billing issues, really a smooth process.
The only negative I seen was the hot water tank must be very small for each room? It's a quick in and out if you are a long shower
 person.
In summary if you want an affordable motel with everything you need nearby in a quiet area on the main drag in Durango this is it. Is it a 5 year old chain hotel? No. But it's very clean and has fresh paint and well maintained. And the nostalgic old neon sign and die cast caboose on my key (along with my train ride) will be something I won't forget about my trip to Durango.


Very reasonable price and all you need.

I can find two positives to say about the Caboose Motel: it's cheap and it's clean. After that, it's all downhill. The rooms are small, and as other reviewers have noted, the mattresses are like sleeping on a plywood board.  No one is ever in the closed office - you have to call to get them. Reservations are a mystery to them. For stays over a night, there is no service, which means no made beds, no fresh towels, no trash emptied. That's all the guest's responsibility. Here's the worst part - the walls are paper thin. You can clearly hear every conversation, cough, etc. from the rooms next door. It's like you're sharing a room with strangers. There are so many other reasonably priced hotels and motels nearby, there's no reason to ever stay here.

You Get What You Pay For

Day 6 of my 2 week independent hotel/motel trip.  - I was a little concerned when I saw that the front lobby was closed due to Covid, and you had to check in through the side window. But that was alleviated when I went into the room.  Clean, spacious room while still keeping all the charm of an independent one story motel where you park in front of your room.  Wood paneled inside, bathroom up to date, looks to be somewhat recently remodeled.  Everything was just what I wish was expected from every place.  Carpeting was clean, internet signal was good.

Excellent

Motel did not have our reservation that was made through our travel site when we arrived according to a lady at the hotel. We called earlier in the day to confirm our reservation with a man at the hotel and everything was fine according to him (owner/manager). Nevertheless when we arrived they had given our room away and said they had no record of a reservation even after we previously confirmed. They showed no remorse and said that this was not uncommon and that we should have booked directly with them. Poor customer service and very bad connections with travel agents evidently. Don’t take chances, go elsewhere.

Don’t take chances with this place, find somewhere else!

Durango, like so many tourist places, is stupidly high priced.  When I found the Caboose Motel, the price was reasonable and I didn't expect it to have the piazzas as other hotels.  It was clean, small, no phone (everyone has cell phones now anyway), wifi a bit spotty but not a big deal, but the one thing I didn't expect was no Kleenex.  I forgot to let them know that the coffee pot was clogged and water sat in the cup where you put the coffee.  Oh well, it's not the Ritz, but to see friends for 1 night I wasn't going to pay $200+.  They were very nice about getting my husband 2 extra pillows.  The bed looked very clean and nice but I've never had to climb up so high to get in.  There was a microwave and refrigerator and small table with hard-backed chairs.  If all you need is a reasonably price bed for a night, go for it.

Caboose Motel

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